College Credits Issue Is Complex

November 17, 1985|By Robbie Morganfield, Staff Writer

As in any lawsuit, the two sides are telling conflicting stories in this case. Yet each side contends its version is nothing but the truth.

Ultimately, a judge will decide whether four former Bauder College students should be awarded damages as a result of claims that school officials did not provide the quality classroom instruction and job opportunities their advertisements promised.

More at the heart of the controversy, however, is whether the college willingly or unwillingly misrepresented itself by telling students that Bauder is accredited and that course work can be transferred toward degrees at other colleges and universities.

That, at least, is an issue being raised by Joseph Brizzi, Gillian Chung, David Caffey and Janet Leavitt in their lawsuit, which is pending in Broward Circuit Court.

No hearing date has been set.

But Aaron Foosaner, a Miami Beach lawyer serving as counsel for the college, which is in the 4800 block of North Dixie Highway, Oakland Park, said a motion was filed last week to dismiss the complaint altogether. He claims the allegations are not specific enough.

Since the lawsuit was filed in September, however, other students have complained.

``We were told the school is accredited and that our credits would transfer,`` said Alvin Daniels, a Fort Lauderdale resident who completed two years of studies in architectural drafting last June.

He said he applied to the University of Tampa but was told he would have to start all over as a freshman. Trina Walthour, one of his classmates, said she received the same response.

Both said they are bitter.

College officials have maintained that all they told students was that the school has a few articulation agreements with colleges that will evaluate Bauder courses and possibly award credit.

``A statement in our handbook was available to students. It is not an all- out guarantee that students will be able to transfer credits,`` said Kevin Johnson, corporate counsel for National Education Corp., the California company that owns Bauder and 42 other trade schools nationwide.

``No school is going to guarantee that every credit will be accepted by every college in the country,`` Johnson said.